A Chance Discovery
by Rose of the Nile
Summary: Edward is a royal pain. Mary knows that and why she took him as her lover she'll never know...And because of his idiocy, she ends up outing her secret to the last two people she ever thought would find out... EdwardxMary. Just a short drabble that I wrote when bored. Figured a few people might get a laugh out of it. Rated M for implied sexual situations and cursing.


"You have to be the _biggest_ arse on the seas, Kenway!" snarled Mary Read. She turned and stormed towards the door of his chambers, fixing the belt that she had over her coat. Edward was jumping out of bed, fixing his pants as he did.

"You're being quite the arse yourself, Read" He growled, grabbing at his coat which she had thrown across the room.

"Well, that's a fine 'fuck you' too!" She said, turning back to her half-naked, part-time lover. What foolish notion made her think of taking Edward bloody Kenway as a lover was gone at the moment. One offhand comment from him, had her out of his bed, her clothes back on and preparing to leave his _Jackdaw_. She burst out the door, slamming it in his face, hurried back on deck where Ade looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He didn't comment though and if he knew what the did when they were alone, he pretended he didn't. He was a smart man like that.

They were just off the coast of Nassau and it was a short swim to the shore. She could have taken one of Edward's boats but instead she dove right into the water, the cool waves helping calm her hot blood a little. When she found herself on shore, no one really looked at her. It was clear to many that she was in a hot temper and James Kidd was not one to be trifled with when he was angry. She walked to the Old Avery, the bar she preferred to frequent and ordered a drink Anne who jumped to it, not a smart word coming from her bold mouth. She knew better when Mary was in such a mood. Everyone was a little wary about her, because they knew unless they were itching for a fight it was best to leave a temperamental Kidd to himself.

Well, that was until two sailors she knew very well bellied up to her table, their drinks already in hand. They sat down across from her and the one slapped at her arm, his dark eyes flashing with humor.

"What's it, Kidd? Someone piss in your rum?" asked Edward Thatch, a man that Mary respected very much. He was the type to wear his heart on his sleeve, his emotions changing at the flick of a switch. One moment he could be handing out crushing bear hugs and the next he could be shoving his cutlass down someone's throat.

"It's fucking Kenway. Greedy bastard" She spat. Usually she wouldn't open up about personal details, but she was so tired of Edward's ways. He was such a arse.

"Ah, having a spat with ol' Kenway huh?" Thatch leaned back with a grin. "Seems they be having a lover's quarrel" Thatch elbowed Ben in the side and the both laughed. She glared at him.

"Easy, Kidd. He's just joking…but I must say you do spend a lot of time around Edward, lad. Seems a bit queer, if you get my meaning" Ben stated, leaning back and then taking a drawl from his cup of rum.

"You can shove it up your ass. Edward ain't nothing but a free ride to me"

"Now that hurts, Kidd. I thought we were friends" It was Edward himself, walking up onto the scene, looking pleased with himself as usual. She just wanted to hit him quite frankly. She held that inside though, not wanting to start a fight. She had no idea if anyone would take sides and that could be dangerous when rum was mixed in with the friction of a fight.

"Fuck. Off" She spat that with as much venom as she could at the moment. She could see he wanted to say something, probably crude and extremely insulting but his blue eyes glanced from Hornigold to Thatch and then back to her. He just gave her a wryly smile, his eyes clearly saying what he hadn't. Clearly indicating their own secret relationship.

"Come now, Kidd, I don't think you _really_ mean that" He leaned against the table. "But…" He was clearly going to say something rash anyway. Before he could get a chance she threw the rest of her rum in his face. It was a petty move but the look on his face was worth it.

"Leave me alone, Kenway!" she stormed away, just wanting some space. Couldn't he see that she wanted some goddamn space?

"You're like a woman on the rag, Kidd!" He shouted after her, wiping at his face, trying to clean it.

She didn't stop to listen to his taunts. Instead she found a nice shady spot and sat down on an old chest. The spot she had found was under a house that had been built on stilts like so many in Nassau. She took out her pipe and lit it and began to smoke, silently cursing Edward for getting her so worked up so easily. Her temper was much too hot for her age.

"Ah! There you are!" Suddenly Edward was slipping into the underside of the house with her. It was a small area, with walls on three sides, which is why she had ducked under here. It was hard to see under here, hard to find her. He had anymore. She tensed. "Stop, stop…It's okay." He held up his hands in surrender. "I really came to apologize this time. "

"Oh _really_?" She rolled her eyes. He carefully moved closer, taking a seat on the chest next to her. She watched him with wary eyes.

"What I said was rude and unneeded and I am sorry, Mary" she glanced around when he said that, as if someone might be listening. "No one is around." He smiled and before she could stop him he had closed his mouth over her's.

Was she pushing away or pulling him closer? Sometimes it was hard to remember…This time in particular, she thought she was pulling him closer, pressing herself against him. She couldn't remember that she was on Nassau and probably shouldn't be letting him take her hair down or open up her shirt…

"Kidd? Kenway? Is that you?" A voice startled her and she literally jumped, hitting her head off the planks above her. She groaned, holding onto her head, ducking down. Edward carefully stood, blocking the sight of her and moving away from her in one swift movement. They couldn't be discovered together, not here at least and not by them.

"Ah-ha! Here they are!" Ben and Ed ducked into the little hidey-hole and gazed at the scene before them. While Edward was blocking Mary off, mostly, it was clear her hair was down. Luckily with her leaned over, holding onto her head, her hair blocked her chest which was popping out of her corset, thanks to Edward's wandering fingers.

"You okay, there Jim?" Ed was trying to lean around Edward to look at her.

"Fine." She said through gritted teeth. Her head no longer hurt, but she couldn't lean up less they see.

"What were you two doing under here anyway?" Ben's voice was suspicious. Edward glanced back towards her and then back towards them.

"Well…" Edward wasn't one to be speechless. Mary peeked from beneath her hair and saw that both Ed and Benjamin had their eyebrows raised. Edward was trying to come up with an excuse yet but was failing terribly.

"So…you're having an affair with him?" Ben questioned and Mary hated the judgement in his voice/

"No!" Edward denied right away. There was no _him_ of course. Mary hated this, she either had to let her and Edward suffer or she would suffer alone. She closed her eyes tightly and stood as Thatch began to speak.

"You can tell us, honestly, Kenway" There was no judgement in his voice, but Thatch often accepted things the way they were.

"He's not having an affair with _him_" She said, standing. "Because there is no _him_" She kept her voice deep because she didn't want anyone to overhear them and peek in, curious. She didn't hear anyone near their little hidey-hole but that didn't mean there wasn't anyone.

As for Ben and Thatch they were looking at her, her hair down, her tits clear on her chest. Both had their mouths open slightly, in shock. Edward was looking back at her with a sorry expression on his face. He slapped her shoulder gently and then squeezed it, trying to apologize without saying the words.

"Do you mean to tell me," Thatch started, his voice raising with every word, "that the snarky little bastard, James Kidd-"

"Please, Ed!" She spoke above him. "Not here. Please. Can't we speak someplace more _private_?" She crossed her arms across her chest, feeling uncomfortable.

"_The Benjamin_ is right at the docks" Ben suggested, this being the first time he spoke since she stood up. "Fix your…um, hair…And your…Jaysus…" He had to pause, taking in the sight of her chest once more. He ran his hand across his face "Fix yourself. Let's be off." She fixed her hair as he suggested and closed her coat up. She would have to take off her coat and shirt to fix her corset now. Her closed coat would have to be enough.

The four of them hurried across Nassau and to _The Benjamin_. They boarded and went into the Navigation room, shutting the door behind them. Mary locked it for her own purposes and waited till all the men were seated. She would have to do this sooner or later, so might as well be sooner.

"So…you're a lass?" Ben asked. She began to unbuckle her coat.

"Aye. Had the wool over your eyes, didn't I?" She threw her coat at Kenway who caught it out of reflex. He was seated the closest to her. "Are you angry with me?"

"Not angry" Thatch said, leaning back. "Surprised though. Surprised as hell. Who knew we had a woman among us? Who knew a woman helped us build up Nassau?" He belched and settled in his chair, grabbing a rum on the table. He didn't seem bothered by it at all. He laughed a little bit. "It's a little funny now that I think about it a spell. We was fooled by a lass. I know that half the men in Nassau have had their ass handed to them...by this little lass in front of us!" He laughed and then took another drink.

"Aye. I only hid who I was out of necessity though" She explained. Now she turned her back to them, unbuttoning the cuffs of her shirt. She unbuttoned it swiftly and let it drop.

"What are you doing?" asked Ben, sounding alarmed. They could only see her bare back of course, but she doubted that any of them wanted to see her half naked...Well except Edward who had seen the whole package a few times now. So it was no treat for him at all.

"I have to fix my corset because _someone's_ wandering fingers loosened it" She sent a glare over her shoulder to Edward.

"With tits like yours, I can't help myself" He shrugged with a grin.

"So how long has this knuckle dragger known your secret?" Asked Thatch, swatting at Edward with his hand, playfully. Edward dodged and grinned some more. "And don't tell me you actually took him for a lover?"

"For a while now and yes. Yes I have" She sighed. "I was probably drunk at the time"

"You were not" Edward denied. "And you haven't been drunk a single time afterwards"

"I should have been then. I should be in a constant state of drunken foolishness, just like that grog blossom, Jack Rackham."

"I'm not so bad, am I Mary?"

"Mary then?" Ben asked. She leaned her head back as her fingers expertly rethreaded her corset.

"Yes, Ben. My name is Mary but it'd make me happier if you keep calling me Jim when in public. There's a reason that I keep my secret" She glanced back towards them. "Does it not bother you that I'm a woman?"

"I find it _hilarious_." Thatch was grinning. "How I would like to see the faces of all the men you have bested if they found out that you's a woman!" He began to laugh. He pounded his hand on the table hard enough to make all the objects on it jump. "It'd be a sight to see! Maybe I'm surprised, but bothered? No. You're a decent sort of person and just because you've got tits and lacking somethin' between your legs, don't make you any less a decent person" He glanced at Ben, who was a bit more old fashioned than Thatch. "Ain't it right, Ben?"

"I suppose so"

"_Suppose_" Scoffed Thatch. "Don't listen to 'em lass. Man's let his sideburns grow into his brains. Turned 'em to mush" Mary laughed, pulling her shirt back on at last. She buttoned it back up quickly and turned back around as she fixed her cuffs.

She took a seat and they talked some more, of other topics, just like old times. While Ben seemed to have reservations at first, the both seemed okay with the truth after a hour of drinking and talking and scheming. Eventually she pulled her coat back on and straightened herself and bid her goodbyes. Before she left, just as she was getting ready to climb off the boat, Ben came out and stopped.

"Oy, Kidd" She stopped turning back to him. He came closer and lowered his voice. "Listen…I just wanted to say while it surprised me, it really didn't. You were always a queer one. Never quite fit in with the rest of us"

"Ain't you the sea calling the sky dark?" He gave her a look.

"What I'm trying to say is, I respect you." He slapped her shoulder. "Even more so to deal with Kenway's bullshit as much as you do"

It was her turn to roll her eyes and she sighed. "What can you do?"

"Make him less of a man?" He suggested with a laugh.

"Ah, always the cruel one, Ben" She stepped off the ship and then jumped down to the sand. She had to be getting back to her own ship. She had things to do, Assassin things.

"Kidd!" He called from his ship and she turned back. He didn't say anything at first and she wondered if he didn't actually have anything to say. "Best of luck to you"

"Aye, able winds to you as well, Ben" Then she walked away. She could almost hear Thatch still laughing. She was sure for them, finding out she was a woman was probably the discovery of a lifetime. She hoped they wouldn't tell anyone but with those two, one could never know.

* * *

A/N: Okay, a short little fic that I wanted to write. Mainly for Thatch's reactions to Mary being a woman. Have I ever said I adore Thatch? Pity about him...He was a real character. Probably my second favorite non-lead. Anyway, thanks for reading this little dabble. See ya all later!


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